Toon Friend Needs to Vent
by Toon Friend
Summary: I REALLY need to get this out of my chest. This is pretty much a rant on why Rebooted has been VERY disappointing. Read if you're not a fan of Rebooted either. (contains strong language) UPDATE: Now with another chapter with more rants & my fear for Ninjago's future. UPDATE 2: Now with a further look into the character derailment & why I'm gonna lay low for a while.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys. I'm not one for wasting your time with long rants but I REALLY have to get this out before it makes my head explodes. I'm basically gonna rant about why the ridiculous romantic subplots of Rebooted are ruining the characters we know & love, & why Pixal (so far) has been a VERY disappointing character. Before I get on to my rant, I'll get the disclaimer over with first.**

**I don't own Ninjago. It belongs to LEGO. Now let me waste your time with my rant.**

To any of you who bothered reading this, I want you all to know that I do NOT intend to sound whiny. I just want to let out my opinions, NOT shove it down your throats. My opinions may not even be correct because that's what they are. Opinions. If you disagree, the least you can do is tell me why in a calm manner but I'll let you have them.

Let's get started.

I pretty much felt like this for a long time & I can't keep it in any longer & I just want to let it all out. It's pretty much why I'm writing this. I'd be lying if I say that Rebooted sucks. I DO enjoy it but it also has a bunch of problems that makes me… not like it was much as the first seasons and here's why.

The romantic subplots are actually dragging the characters down the mud & why Pixal is a MAJOR disappointment.

First up is that goddamn love triangle everybody hates! Of course I'm talking about Cole/Nya/Jay! It completely ruined their characters and here's why!

I'll confess. I write Ninja/OC stories but I don't hate the love triangle because of Nya 'stealing' Cole!

SHE. DID. NOT. STEAL. HIM.!

He was never paired up with anyone up till now in the show & he hasn't even officially hooked up with her! Here's the REAL reason why the love triangle is bullshit!

Ever since they found out Nya may choose one of them no thanks to Pixal *glares at her* all Cole & Jay ever do in the show is squabble over her! Jay was a funny guy who truly cared for Nya and was devoted to her while Cole was the strong reliable leader whom the ninjas can count on but the love triangle reduced them to nothing but petty rivals over Nya's affection! Nya herself still proved to be a badass but I hate that this season makes her 'dilemma' over choosing a boyfriend her 'main' purpose in the show! It's sad, really.

Speaking of purpose, I previously mentioned that I find Pixal a VERY disappointing character.

Here's why.

Out of all the characters who aren't much loved in the show, she has it worse than any other character in the show! Even the OVERLORD doesn't get as much hate as her! It's ridiculous!

Her 'crime'?

'Stealing' Zane!

Because of that, Pixal is possible THE most hated character in Ninjago! I'm definitely not a fan of her but it's ridiculous! Zane's just a fictional character & he was never paired up with anyone in the first place! I'm NOT a fan of Pixal but all the hate she gets makes my blood boil and it takes a LOT to do that! But that's not why I don't like Pixal!

My reason for not liking her is because she is a character with a lot of potential, and she still does, but the writers are not giving her the chance! They create a character who would've been a great addition to the team but they designate her to a one-dimensional love interest. She's pretty much the Lego version of Zoey from Total Drama. Ever since she joined the ninjas, her mind COMPLETELY revolved around Zane and doesn't even interact with the others! Not even Cyrus who's technically her DAD for heaven's sake! She doesn't even go through ANY development at all! All she ever does is say 'be careful Zane' whenever he's around and when he isn't, she does nothing but talk about him!

Even their relationship is ruining Zane's character!

The Zane we know and love is the sweet yet badass nindroid who takes his duties as a ninja seriously but ever since he hooked up with Pixal, all he wants to do is be a nindroid husbando for his nindroid waifu. The writers basically turned him into Pixal's bitch.

That's also one of the reasons why I don't like this couple.

For me, Pixal/Zane, or Pixane as some people call it, is one of THE worst couples I've ever seen in any form of fiction. Again, I'm guilty for writing ninja/OC fics & like the good ninja/OC stories where the couples ACTUALLY take time to know each other, but even if I didn't, I'd still feel the same way about this shallow couple. Yes. Pixane IS shallow. They're pretty much the Bella/Edward of Lego.

Their relationship is WAY to codependent and I swear, the ONLY reason they like each other is because they're both nindroids! It's shallow! They basically said 'I love you' right off the bat and it doesn't help that the writers and even some Pixane fans are romanticizing codependency! Codependency is NOT romance! It's unhealthy and can even lead to destructive behavior!

Here's a comparison between Pixane and a REAL relationship.

In a real relationship, a man and woman actually take time to know each other and know they can't be together ALL the time. Whenever a couple is separated, it's understandable for one to get worried for the other but it's important for them to know that they can take care of themselves so they can branch out as individuals. Pixal and Zane literally clung to one another during the entire season and they barely know each other. They even say they belong together solely because they're nindroids.

I dare you to say that that's NOT shallow!

If you've made it this far, congratulations.

As a reward, here's a little story.

_Toon Friend was browsing her local Lego Store, admiring all the sets they had. Unlike what those insane whiny OC-obsessed Ninjagians on Deviantart believe, she knew that Lego was WAY more than just Ninjago and the Lego Movie. They also have TMNT, Star Wars, Legends of Chima, even though she wasn't a fan. She DID try to give it a chance but she didn't find the appeal. At the same time, it was unfair how the whiny Ninjagians hate Chima without even giving it a chance. But she also heard that Bionicle was coming back and she was looking forward to it._

_But the peace was interrupted._

"_F$&K YOU PIXAL! I F$&IN' HATE YOU!"_

_Some crazy girl who looked no older than twelve punched the Ninjago set that included Pixal._

_Yeah. Way to behave in front of little kids._

"_DUDE! WHAT THE CHEESE!?" Toon Friend couldn't help but ask what this psychopath's problem was._

"_THAT BITCH!" The crazy girl screeched, "IT'S ALL HER FAULT!"_

"_For what!?"_

"_IT'S HER FAULT ZANE IS DEAD!"_

_Although she was upset over Zane's 'death', Toon Friend knew better than to blame a fictional character for 'killing' another fictional character. Besides, Zane wasn't ENTIRELY dead. He just didn't have a physical body anymore. She left this psycho bitch up to the staff as she briskly left the store. She still liked Ninjago but she wanted nothing to do with the insane part of the fandom. This was one of those times she was actually __**ashamed**__ for liking Ninjago._

Now here's the scariest part of the story…

It's actually true.

I'm not kidding. This was an actual experience I had and some crazy fans are actually blaming Pixal for Zane's fate, which is bullshit!

SHE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!

Zane chose to sacrifice himself for his brothers out of his own free will! Not because of Pixal! Even if Pixal never existed, he still would've done it anyway!

If that wasn't bad enough, she's even being blamed for this whole 'Rebooted' mess for happening in the first place!

First of all, it was NOT her fault! It's the Overlord's! Pixal was under the Overlord's control when General Cryptor and the nindroids were made! All she did was scan Zane but she would NEVER create an evil army based on his blueprints willingly and she probably scanned him for security reasons or so Cyrus can invent new gadgets inspired by Zane's blueprints.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm starting to think Kai's the only sane guy left but it doesn't help that he's been treated as a background character this season.

I seriously doubt that the new episodes in 2015 will be able to fix all this and I'm seriously considering leaving the fandom once I get my sequel to Chosen by Destiny finished (but I'll still be looking forward to the movie).

But if you still ship Pixane or even Coya (Cole/Nya), I'm not stopping you. Liking those couples is not a crime to me. Everyone should have their opinions and I only want to express mine, not shove it down your throats, but I apologize if I sounded any bit whiny at all.

ForeverDreamer12, if you're reading this and find some stuff in this rant you want to point out or even put into the letter you plan to send to Lego/Hageman Bros, have at it.

Congratulations. You've reached the end of my LONG venting rant.

If there's anything you want to say, go ahead.

Thank you for your time and with sincere apologies to those who love 'Rebooted', Toon Friend.

**UPDATE**

I've made another confession about Pixane, which is now officially my NoTP at my profile. If you have time, check it out & PM to express your opinions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Guess who's back to rant about Ninjago! Yes! Toon Friend!**

**Once again, I have more opinions & shit like that to confess & vent about. First, I apologize if I sound any bit whiny. If you've read this before, you should know that I only want to express my opinions. Not shove it down your throat & I don't mind if you disagree. We should all have our own opinions. Okay, now let me waste your time again.**

As you know by now, I find Pixal a VERY disappointing character. Whenever I see her, I just shake my head but as much as I dislike her, I will NOT hesitate to defend her from those annoying petty fangirls who are STILL acting like jealous brats who can't accept that Zane's just a fictional character & will never belong to them or their OC's. Again, I'm guilty of having OC's but it's nothing more than wishful thinking & I know they'll never be with Zane or the ninjas in canon. I just write it for fun. Besides, those fangirls are giving the message that Zane's some sort of object or property. HE. IS. NOT.! He may be a robot but he has his own free will and if he existed in real life, he wouldn't be happy about being treated as someone's property. If anyone makes a Zane/OC fic and put Pixal in it just to vilify her, that person's dead to me. You seriously can't get any lower than that.

So yeah, I kinda have a love/hate feeling towards Pixal. I still see her as the Zoey (from Total Drama) of Lego but she's also like a female Hetalia character who's hated just for existing & that REALLY grinds my gears. If you really hate her that much, then just leave her alone! Not everyone will like a certain character but that doesn't make it an excuse to bully them! Stop!

Basically, I understand if you're not into Pixal & think she should've done more than being a love interest, but if you're gonna hate her just for being hooked up with Zane, leave. Just leave.

Moving on, we all know another season of Ninjago's being made & it's going to feature the Anacondrai & introduce new characters.

But what's getting EVERYONE's attention is the orange ninja who's possibly named Skylar.

Again, I have an OC who wears orange but I'm not complaining nor do I mind. I know my story's AU & will never happen in canon but I still write it because I enjoy it. Also, I'm actually curious to know more about this 'Skylar' character but lately, I've been getting a bad feeling.

The most common rumor is that Skylar's a girl but Lego hasn't said anything AND Skylar is also a GUY's name but everyone's assuming the new ninja's a girl. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to see a female ninja within the show but nothing has been confirmed. If Skylar's a guy, I'll just say 'oh well'. Just like when Rebooted had all the hype before it actually aired, I will NOT believe all these rumors until Lego actually confirms anything.

This also brings me to the 'bad feeling' I'm having about Skylar IF proven to be a girl.

Even though I would LOVE to see a female ninja in the show, there's also going to be setbacks on Skylar's role, which we still know VERY little about.

My biggest concern is for her to be a one-dimensional love interest like Pixal. There's even some rumors going about that she'll be paired up with Cole because his REAL favorite color is orange & it'll bring an end to that awful love triangle.

As much as I hate the love triangle, that is NOT the proper way to end it!

It's pretty much placing Skylar into the role of a 'consolation trophy' for Cole, which is VERY insulting for her (if Skylar IS a girl), and making Cole like her just because she wears a certain color is EXTREMELY shallow! Plus, it's gonna be a VERY bad case of deus ex machina in which a very complex conflict such as the love triangle is unrealistically solved by some miracle out of nowhere. Like everyone else, I HATE the love triangle but if there's any way to end it, end it with Nya's decision on who she wants to be with!

Another concern is the damage that's been done to the characters during Rebooted that might go unrepaired.

Remember when Zane was sweet yet badass?

In Rebooted, he was warped into a clingy husbando & ended up losing his body (but this was his choice alone). As for any hope of him returning, he's in the Digiverse & Pixal still has his blueprints (unless she deleted it which is unlikely of her) so I won't be surprised if any new episodes explore this possibility. But if his personality will still revolve around Pixal & being her bitch, I'm sorry but I just won't be able to enjoy the next season.

The same thing goes for Jay & Cole fighting over Nya if Skylar doesn't turn into a love interest (at least for them). They were both great characters but they've been reduced into squabbling brats & if they can't let it go (sorry Frozen fans) then I can't enjoy them anymore.

The only 'pro' I find is Kai no longer being treated as a background character but god forbid Skylar being the Bella Swan to his Edward Cullen.

But another bad feeling I'm getting is that Ninjago might suffer the same fate as the Simpsons & that Lego's trying WAY too hard to make it their My Little Pony.

The Season 2 finale would've been a fitting ending but rabid fangirls kept whining for Ninjago to continue & now Lego's going to milk that cow until it's bone dry to cater to their demands.

Don't get me wrong, I like Ninjago & would love for it to continue but we all must remember that nothing can last forever. Book series like Harry Potter has ended, TV shows have come and gone, and even we will all die one day. I hope the movie will be a definite ending to the Ninjago theme before Lego & even the Hageman bros would want to move on with new ideas. Everyone moves on with different things & when the day comes when the Hageman bros want to do something new, the least the fans can do is respect their decision, not condemn them for broadening their horizons.

This brings me back to why I don't want Ninjago to end up like the Simpsons.

The Simpsons have been going on for MANY years and as the years go by, the 'quality' of their episodes dropped. They had actual plots & great humor but now, it's all about fads, guest stars, the latest 'trends', & the humor has gone down the drain. I don't want Ninjago to go down that road but I feel like they've already jumped the shark with Rebooted.

Lastly, the more I think about the next season's plot, the more I feel like this is something straight out of a bad Disney sequel.

I'm not saying ALL sequels are bad. Some of them are actually good but it's usually whenever the movie or book has been planned into a series beforehand. Then there's the bad ones like Disney movies. Remember when you see the ending & feel happy that the princess has her 'happily ever after', or the protagonist is hailed as a hero? Yeah, the ending's good but then the fans whine for more so the company churns out a plotless sequel filled with bad 'humor', too much focus on comic relief, characters being OOC, & above all, those 'consolation' love interests I talked about earlier.

Seriously, I would hate for Ninjago to go down that road to the point even the most devout fans would cry 'Stop! They're already dead!' (Yeah, a reference to the GOOD Simpsons)

In conclusion, I'm NOT saying all this WILL happen! If the next season is good, I'll watch it but if my fears have been confirmed, then I'm DONE. I'll officially give up on Ninjago but I WILL continue to write stories, hang out in FanFiction, & will still watch the movie.

If you've made it this far & have read my previous rant, you are a saint for putting up with me & my inner Foamy the Squirrel. Congratulation.

Now, if you have ANYTHING you'd like to say, go ahead. Even if you disagree, just tell me. It's not a crime to disagree with me. The Internet should be a free place. With sincere apologies for wasting more of your time, Toon Friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here we go again. Another rant about how far Ninjago has fallen & why I've decided to lay low from the fandom for a few days because of the fangirls who act like the life of a fictional character is more important than a real person's. Like my other rants, I don't expect you to agree with me & I don't plan to convert anyone. Now let's get this over with.**

To those of you who agreed with my rants, you'll know that Rebooted has been a TERRIBLE case of character derailment. I don't even like some of the characters as much as I used to back when I first watched Ninjago back in 2012 so first, I'll give you a rundown on how Rebooted ruined most of the main characters.

First, here's my list of favorite ninjas (plus Nya) when Ninjago supposedly 'ended' in 2012.

6. Jay because there were times he seemed to be nothing but an annoying comic relief character but there were times when he got serious & his relationship with Nya was so sweet. He was my least favorite ninja but I didn't hate him at all. He's likable but I just don't like him as much as the others.

5. Kai since he had a LOT of moments where he seemed to be an arrogant jerk but he was all in all a great guy and truly cared for his loved ones.

4. Lloyd. I know he was the focal character but he didn't exactly 'click' with me as much as the ninjas but he was generally likable.

3. Nya. She was just so awesome back then. She was a beautiful yet strong girl who didn't take crap from anyone, not even the guys. She may have been a love interest but she didn't let that be the only thing she's good for, unlike Pixal. *cough*Bella Swan*cough*

2. Zane, the fan favorite even before Rebooted aired. I just loved the dynamics between him and the others. I really enjoyed how he was a robot but he was still one of the guys. He was also so sweet yet took his duties as a ninja seriously.

1. Cole. He was my favorite because he was everything a leader should be. He was always looking out for the ninjas and also took his duties seriously. He's also my favorite because I understood how he felt with his father. I also go through similar things with my mom and how we often argue. Like Lou, she wants me to be more like her but I don't want to, so I know exactly how Cole felt during that episode. BTW, who else thought that growl at the end of the Triple Tiger Sashay was sexy as hell? I actually blushed when he did that! XD

Now ever since Rebooted, the atrocity of a season that should've never been made, aired, the characters have been ruined and now, here's my ranking based on how badly the season ruined them.

6. Zane. Yes. The focal character of this season has become my least favorite main character. All he ever wants to do now is be a husbando for his disgustingly one-dimensional waifu, Pixal. I know I've said it several times but their relationship is the very definition of codependency and it's pretty much the Bella/Edward of Lego. Another factor for him being so low is that the writers gave him a bad case of special snowflake syndrome that always rears its ugly head whenever Pixal isn't around. I don't want to sound mean but I'm starting to think his 'death' may have been a blessing in disguise like an old diseased dog finally being put out of its misery.

5. Nya. Oh Nya, what have the Hageman bros done to you? You were such a BAMF and now, you're just a rope in Jay and Cole's stupid tug-of-war game. Again, this is not Nya's fault. It's the Hageman bros' fault for trying to shove as much clichéd romantic subplots as possible so I don't want to hear anyone accusing her of being a 'bitch' or a 'whore'. But what really irritated me was when she was all 'like I'll ever tell' when she saved Cole and Jay. They made her sound manipulative. It would've been more realistic if she didn't even answer at all. At least she wouldn't have sounded so… OOC.

4. Cole. I also can't believe what the writers have done to him. He was the serious leader before but now, he's so obsessed with one-upping Jay when it comes to Nya, it's not even funny. Even worse are the crazy pro-Jaya fangirls who treat him as the villain. Lately, every Jay/Nya fic I find has Cole placed into the role of the bad guy. He didn't actually DO anything to split them up! It's the love machine who's the REAL bad guy! But god forbid, if Nya chooses Cole, then Skylar shows up, Cole will be like 'Oh, she wears orange so she's perfect for me! You can have Nya back, Jay! The love triangle's solved!' That will only make him appear even more shallow and selfish! I'm begging you, Lego, do NOT let this happen! If it happens, then I'm seriously quitting the show.

3. Jay obviously had moments where he acted immature and was a total class clown but ever since he started fighting with Cole, he's been acting like a spoiled brat who didn't get the toy he wanted for Christmas. It seems like he doesn't care for Nya like he used to and only wants her back to beat Cole, which is basically treating her like an object or trophy.

2. Kai's one of the only two main characters who's fairly 'intact'. He would've been number one but this season has treated him like a background character, so yeah.

1. Lloyd's the most 'intact' character as of now. Unlike Zane and Nya, he goes through some decent character development now that his father's back and his personality is relatively the same. But I'm starting to have a bad feeling that he's gonna be turned into a 'just there' character in Season 4.

So there you go. Now you'll see how warped the ninjas and Nya have become.

Now onto the next topic: the finale of Rebooted is airing in a couple of days but what I'm NOT looking forward to is the fandom overreacting to Zane's death.

Back then, the crazy fangirls dedicated July 4 to him and it made me want to chew on glass. I'm not kidding. Whenever I'm not watching cartoons or playing video games, I'm a history fanatic and I loved that subject even before Hetalia and when you think about the real reason why July 4 is a holiday, it was actually offensive. July 4 is celebrated because that's the day America got its independence and how did they get it? War. None of us were alive back then but during the Revolutionary War, REAL people lost their lives and REAL families and friends lost their loved ones forever. If you're dedicating a holiday already commemorating those who actually lost their lives for independence for a FICTIONAL character who isn't 100% dead, then you're being EXTREMELY disrespectful and offensive. You're basically saying that the life of a fictional character who only lost his body is more significant than those of real people who've actually died and can never go back to their loved ones. When I first heard of the 'Zane Day', I decided to lay low for a few days and that's pretty much what I'm going to do. I won't be surprised if these crazy fangirls actually dedicate Thanksgiving to him. *shudders*

Now here's one more subject about this that I hope will never happen. I must warn you, this may be a little touchy but I'm gonna say it anyway.

I don't know if this is true because it's been a rumor that went around at the time but I heard that one fangirl actually CUT herself because of Zane's 'death'. It was the most sickening thing I've ever heard. I was VERY sad when he died but that's just disturbing and that fangirl took it WAY too far. You do NOT commit self-harm just because a cartoon character died, or ANYONE for that matter! I understand if you're all depressed but that's NO reason to mutilate yourself! No matter how much I like(d) Zane or even the other characters, they're just cartoons! They're not real so they're not exactly alive to begin with! If you REALLY have the urge, GET HELP!

There. I'm done.

Way to go, fandom. Congratulations for making us Ninjagians and even Ninjago itself look bad.

To keep this from disobeying the FanFiction rules, here's a drabble.

The ninjas were just derping around in the Bounty when Jay came back carrying what looked like a microwave.

"Guys! Guys!" Jay yelled, being the spaz he is, "I went to the toy store and now, they're selling microwaves! I finally found one at our price range!"

Zane got up to look at the 'microwave' and noticed something wrong.

It wasn't a microwave.

"Jay…" The nindroid began, "That's an Easy Bake Oven."

The Easy Bake Oven: $64

The look on Jay's face: Priceless


End file.
